Lesson Plan Diane Clift Grade 8 Earth Science. Laurie Simanski Grade 8 Mathematics Janet Laffey Grade 8 Learning Support
Course: Earth Science
Unit: Are you Average?
Timeline: Approximately 2 Weeks
Lesson Goal(s): Students will be completing a survey by collecting data from peers to determine whether they are “average” or not. They will learn about various types of data displays and the importance and use in Science. They will then analyze their collected data through data tables, bar graphs, histograms, pie graphs, stem and leaf plots, scatter plots, and box and whisker plots. They will compare data by using measures of central tendencies (mean, media, mode) and measures of spread (range, and percentiles). They will draw conclusions based on the information from their sample to determine population data and to determine their level of “averageness”.
GSE/Content Standards: Unifying Themes of Science: Science Inquiry: Collect Data, Represent analyze, & interpret data, use evidence to draw conclusions
Math Standards DSP 8-1,8-2,8-3,
Materials: Data sheets, computers, Samples and Populations Connected Math Text, Practice Sheets from text as well as other resources
Instructional Procedures: Opening: Discussion of what it means to be an “average” teen. Have students brainstorm a list of characteristics that they will use in their survey of their peers. The list could include: age, height, weight, # of people in household, hair and eye color, handedness, etc.
Engagement (may be multiple days):Once the list has been made, students will survey their class and fill in a data table. Once data has been collected, results will be tabulated and analyzed. Students will create one each of the following: pie graph, bar graph, box and whisker, stem and leaf, histogram, scatter plot and mean median and mode for each characteristic. Students will learn how to create these graphs using Microsoft EXCEL.
Closure: Students will draw conclusions about their “averageness” based on their data. Students will then refer to the following website to compare their results with national averages.
Assessment: Formative/Summative: Students will complete a lab report that must include one each of the types of data displays that were examined throughout the investigation.
Diane Clift Grade 8 Earth Science.
Laurie Simanski Grade 8 Mathematics
Janet Laffey Grade 8 Learning Support
Math Standards DSP 8-1,8-2,8-3,
Opening: Discussion of what it means to be an “average” teen. Have students brainstorm a list of characteristics that they will use in their survey of their peers. The list could include: age, height, weight, # of people in household, hair and eye color, handedness, etc.
Engagement (may be multiple days):Once the list has been made, students will survey their class and fill in a data table. Once data has been collected, results will be tabulated and analyzed. Students will create one each of the following: pie graph, bar graph, box and whisker, stem and leaf, histogram, scatter plot and mean median and mode for each characteristic. Students will learn how to create these graphs using Microsoft EXCEL.
Closure: Students will draw conclusions about their “averageness” based on their data. Students will then refer to the following website to compare their results with national averages.